Gambrill

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March 8
Sunday

Pre-registration is required and will open Wednesday, Feb 25 at 6pm. It will close on Saturday, March 7 at 12 noon (or when our max. capacity is reached). There will be no day-of registration.

REMINDER: Daylight Savings Time starts this weekend, so don’t forget to set any non-digital clocks ahead one hour on Saturday night.

Welcome to QOC's 2026 Rogaine, taking place in Maryland's Gambrill State Park and the Frederick Municipal Forest. We will again have two course options - a shorter 3-hour rogaine, with 21 checkpoints, and a longer 8-hour event with 40 checkpoints. All checkpoints are worth from 1 to 5 points depending on factors such as difficulty to find, or frankly, the whims of course designer Michael Dickey. There is no set course, so it is up to each competitor to determine the best route to get the maximum number of points within the allotted time. Scoring will be based on total points with time used as a tie-breaker. Competitors exceeding the time limit for their course will lose 1 point per minute or fraction of a minute over time. So don’t be late!

This year the start and finish are both remote. All rogainers (3-hour and 8- hour) will take a 4-mile shuttle ride between the check-in shelter and the start/finish at the Hamburg Road Parking area. There will be a clothing drop at the start/finish. Check-in and download are located in Shelter 3. 8-hour finishers need to be at the finish before 16:45 when the last shuttle leaves (courses close at 16:30).

While this is not an event suitable for beginning orienteers, all others should find this a challenging and fun event. The 3-hour event is designed to be easier and more friendly to those interested in trying out something new. If you are comfortable with Orange courses, and would enjoy a nice hike in some beautiful terrain, come try this! Want to learn more about rogaines in general? Click here. Note that in contrast to orienteering (where you shouldn't look at your map before you start), in a Rogaine you are given time to study the map and plan a route before your time starts. For this event, maps will be handed out at registration and each competitor can start when they are ready by punching the 'start' epunch box. Note course closure times though - if you are still out on the course, time for your course stops then no matter when you start. Unlike previous years, there is no mass start because of the shuttle to the remote start.

Post-Event Picnic! Plan to stay around after the event to compare route choices and enjoy complimentary hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chips, and soft drinks. Other than alcohol (prohibited in Maryland state parks), feel free to bring anything else you'd like to drink or eat.

Registration Details:

• 3-hour: Registration is capped at 80 starts (individuals and teams); cost is $14.49/pp for members and those younger than 21, and $24.49 for non-members.
• 8-hour: Registration is capped at 75 starts (individuals and teams); cost is $34.49/pp for members and under-21's, and $44.49 for non-members.
• Registration will close when sold out or no later than noon on Saturday March 7.
• Solo rogainers and teams of 2 to 4 (max) are welcome. Note that IRF rules require those under 14 be on a team with at least one person over 18.
• Portable toilets will be available near the registration shelter.
• The shuttles do not allow non-service animals.
• Recommended Equipment: whistle, watch (make sure to keep track of your time!), compass and basic first aid kit. Phones are allowed but are not to be used for navigation. [Feel free to take photos to share later though!]
• Competitors should bring sufficient hydration (and food) for the length of the event, or the means to filter purified water from streams. There is no provided water on the course, but there are plenty of springs and streams.

Costs

For 3-hour participants, cost is $14.49/pp for members of QOC or any OUSA club and those younger than 21, and $24.49 for non-members.
For 8-hour participants, the cost is $34.49/pp for members of QOC or any other OUSA club and under-21's, and $44.49 for non-members.
Pre-registration with payment is required.

Park Entrance Fee

Gambrill State Park charges a per-vehicle entrance fee - $3 for MD residents, $5 for out-of-staters. The park has asked QOC to help ensure all participants pay this fee. If you have an Maryland annual pass, you're all set. Otherwise, you can pay the entrance fee at the pay station (exact cash only) or at the QOC check-in. We can collect the fees in cash or by PayPal and will submit the total to the park.

Parking and Check-in Details

Carpooling is encouraged! We expect that there will be plenty of parking near the pavilions (#2 and #3) and near the park entrance just after the Visitor’s Center for all 8 hour competitors.
For 3 hour competitors, while there may not be sufficient parking at the High Knob area there is additional parking at the Trail Head Parking or in the Rock Run area at the bottom of the hill as you enter the park. We’ll post a sign if parking fills up. The shuttle will make runs past that parking area between 8:30 and 9:30 for 3-hour competitors. It will be a downhill hike back to the distant parking area after your course (no shuttle). Please arrive by 9:30am so you have enough time to make all the shuttles and register.

Volunteers

Is 8 hours too much, and 3 hours not enough? We are looking for 3 hour participants to help pick up controls. Run, eat, then run some more. Plus someone who can help with registration and parking in the morning; just sign up via this form or email the Event Director directly for other options.

Location	Gambrill SP, Shelter 3, Frederick, MD (Rogaine)
Registration	Advance registration is required. Registration open Wed. 2/25 at 6pm and closes when sold out or at 12 noon on Saturday March 7. . Who's Registered? Check by clicking here.
Start Times	See notes above.
Schedule	Sunday, March 8 7:00 am Rogaine: Check-in begins for the 8-hour event. 7:30 am Rogaine: Shuttle runs to start for 8-hour competitors 8:30 am Rogaine: Check-in begins for the 3-hour event. 8:30 am Rogaine: Starts for 8-hour event close - starts after this have less than 8 hours to finish. 9:00 am Rogaine: Shuttle runs to start for 3-hour competitors 11:00 am Rogaine: Starts for 3-hour event close - starts after this will have less than 3 hours to finish. 2:00 pm Rogaine: 3-hour course closes 4:30 pm Rogaine: 8-hour course closes 4:45 pm Rogaine: Last shuttle leaves remote finish!
Volunteers	Event Director: David Rager Event Director: Reiko Rager Course Designer: Michael Dickey
Location Details	Rogaine, Rogaine, Rogaine, Rogaine, Rogaine, Rogaine, Rogaine, Rogaine, Rogaine Gambrill SP Shelter 3 Frederick, MD Gambrill SP Day-use fee: Maryland residents $3/vehicle; out-of-state residents $5/vehicle. Having exact change ready is recommended, and carpooling is encouraged! From Washington: Take I-270 north to Frederick, which transitions into U.S. Route 15, and continue to Route 40 west (West Patrick Street). Exit to the I-70 west/Route 40 split, bear right and continue on Route 40. Turn right on Gambrill Park Road. At the High Knob Scenic Area sign, where the road goes right, go left to the parking areas for Shelter 3 as well as Shelter 2 and the Tea Room. From Baltimore: Take I-70 west to Frederick and follow to U.S. Route 15 and then to Route 40 west exit. Follow Route 40 west to Gambrill Park Road on your right as above. Google Maps Link Apple/iPhone Link
Course Details	Rogaine Course Name Length (km) Climb (m) No. Controls 3 Hour Rogaine 8 Hour Rogaine
Course Notes	Rogaine Map Notes The map is based on recent LIDAR data. It lacks the level of detail and field checking of our orienteering maps, but has more detail than most Rogaine maps and is constantly being improved! Trails and rides are generally accurate. The mapped vegetation is mostly based on LIDAR and has not been thoroughly field checked, but generally it's accurate enough to be helpful. Most light green on the map is mountain laurel that isn’t too difficult to travel through. As usual, contours are the most reliable map feature. Michael has mapped rock features that he's come across but have most definitely NOT mapped all of them. If mapped it’s there, but the absence of rock on the map does not mean it's rock-free! Some areas of green are boulder fields that I’ve not been able to correct yet. Mapped streams are generally reliable and should be fine for filtering if you need water on the course. There are also a few springs on the map suitable for filling large containers from. Participants should plan to carry everything they will need with them for the duration of their course. Private property, including some in the middle of the map is denoted in olive green. Do your best to avoid those areas. Some boundaries are marked on trees but not all of them are. The map scale for the course will be 1:15,000 and the contour interval is 5m. The 3-hour course is on two 8.5x14 maps, and the 8-hour course will have three 8.5x14 maps, oriented to magnetic north. Clues and point values for each control will be printed on the maps. Maps will not be bagged as in our normal orienteering events so that you can make route notations and notes on the map. Plastic map cases should be available. Course Notes This is a popular mountain biking area, so be aware that there may be bikes on the trails. Please get off the trail and let them by if you are traveling on trails and see mountain bikers. All starts and finishes this year will be at The Hamburg Road Parking area. Shuttles will transport participants between the shelters and the start/finish area. 8-hour: the course has 40 controls worth a total of 120 points. 3-hour: 21 controls worth a total of 62 points. There are roads on the map marked as out of bounds for travel. Both Gambrill Park Road which you will arrive on, and Hamburg Road towards the east side of the map can have substantial fast-moving vehicle traffic and no shoulder. Crossing is OK, but please be careful, and do not travel on the roads. Hamburg Road in the vicinity of the start is OK for travel between the trail crossings and the junction with Fishing Creek Rd. We will NOT have a mass start due to the shuttles up to the remote start and finish. Safety Gambrill State Park is more rugged than many of our other venues, and as a precaution, QOC has again partnered with Austere Medicine Professionals to provide on-site first response in the event of participant injury. The on-site responders will almost certainly arrive faster than calls placed to 911, so, unlike other QOC events, call the Austere Medicine Professionals first if there’s a serious injury. Their emergency number 443-815-4267 will be printed on each map. Cell Phone coverage may be spotty, so please carry a whistle with you (available at check-in). Make three blasts of your whistle if you need help, and please come to someone’s aid if you hear them whistle.
Entry Fees	Individual Entries Note: juniors = under 21 Club Member, adult Club Member, junior Non-Member, adult Non-Member, junior $10 $5 $20 $5 Group Entries Participants are welcome to orienteer together as a group (up to the maximum for that event; usually 4). Each member of a group is charged their individual rate as shown above, up to a group total of $30 (maximum), and each receives a map. A group receives one epunch. Individuals or groups desiring to compete on a second course after completing their first can do so for a reduced fee of $2/map subject to approval at the event by the Event Director. Important Notes If you wish to become a QOC member you should join online in advance via this webpage (which also explains the member benefits). Membership is completely optional. Most of our events use an 'epunch' timing chip for electronic timing. Individuals or groups without their own epunch will be loaned one for that event. Loaned epunches that are lost incur a $40 replacement fee. Epunches (also known as SI-cards or finger sticks) can be purchased from online vendors as described here. Former QOC members who have let their membership lapse pay non-member fees. Compasses are available at no charge, but if lost incur a $15 replacement fee. Please provide collateral (such as car keys) when borrowing a compass or epunch. Beginners are encouraged to watch relevant videos such as this one created by QOC's instructional guru David Onkst